Staff from Southport pub win a national five-a-side tournament

SOUTHPORT pub footballers landed silverware at a national five-a-side tournament.

The budding Rooneys and Gerrards from Lord Street’s Sir Henry Segrave pub were crowned champions at the JD Wetherspoon tournament.

The annual event, held in aid of children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent, saw 375 teams from the chain’s UK pubs pit their skills against each other.

After a series of regional heats, the Southport staff beat colleagues from the Van Dyke pub in Bristol on penalties in Birmingham after the match finished goalless.

Their efforts were rewarded with a shiny trophy to display in the pub and the coveted champions title.

Craig Downes, Sir Henry Segrave pub manager and football team manager, said, “The CLIC Sargent five-a-side football tournament is the main event of the year and the one that we all want to win.

“ This is the first year that we have been able to enter a team and are absolutely over the moon to have won it.

“The trophy is displayed in pride of place behind the bar at the pub.

“The organisation of the event was brilliant, the facilities at the finals were excellent, everyone had a lot of fun and, most importantly, raised a lot of money. Well done to all the teams that took part and to everyone involved for their fundraising efforts.”

The football fundraising competition is the largest charity event in the J D Wetherspoon calendar.

Last year’s event raised more than £190,000 and, with money still coming in, it is hoped that the 2010 competition will reach £250,000.

The award-winning pub chain is CLIC Sargent’s largest and longest running corporate partnership having raised over £3.5m to date.

CLIC Sargent helps children and young people with cancer and their families with the trauma of diagnosis, the often long journey through treatment and support afterwards.